Students swayed by relaxing, fun perceptions of hookah

Students get hooked to hookah due to its fun and relaxing perceptions, ignoring the health hazards associated with the device, a new study has found.
Educational campaigns meant to dissuade college students from initiating hookah tobacco smoking may be more successful if they combat positive perceptions of hookah use as attractive and romantic, rather than focusing solely on the harmful components of hookah tobacco smoke, researchers from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine said.
The research examined the sequence of events around which university students first smoke tobacco from a hookah, also known as a water pipe, in an effort to determine the driving factors behind the decision.

Because hookah tobacco smoking exposes the user to substantial amounts of toxicants such as carbon monoxide, nicotine, carcinogens and tar, initiation of this behaviour is of concern.
"It was surprising to learn that college students, even when they were aware of the health dangers associated with hookah tobacco smoking at baseline, still went on to use a hookah for the first time," said lead author Jaime Sidani, senior research specialist in the Program for Research on Media and Health (PROMH) at Pitt.
"However, students who had less positive attitudes towards hookah smoking were significantly less likely to initiate. This suggests that countering positive attitudes may be at least as effective as emphasising harm in preventing initiation of hookah tobacco smoking," said Sidani.

Sidani and her colleagues analysed a sample of 569 first- and second-year college students who were surveyed twice over a seven-month period about their attitudes, knowledge and behaviours regarding hookah smoking.

During that time, 13 per cent of the students initiated hookah tobacco use.
The students were more likely to initiate hookah use if they had positive attitudes towards hookah smoking - which is frequently promoted as relaxing, pleasurable, fun and sexual - and if they thought it was a socially acceptable practise among their peers.
"Hookah tobacco smoking does not seem to be hampered by many of the negative social stigmas of cigarette smoking," said Sidani.

"If educational programmes can help students to cut through the positive portrayals and marketing of hookah smoking, it may be possible to make hookah smoking less attractive and socially acceptable, resulting in less initiation," said Sidani.
The study appears in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco.